Thar Desert
The massive Thar (tahr) Desert in northern India is mostly sand and
stone. Huge, rolling sand dunes stretch for hundreds of miles. The landscape
is littered with rocks. There is very little plant life except for grass and low,
hardy shrubs. Most of the time, the heat is unbearable.
Water is a very precious resource in the desert. Rain is rare, although
the monsoons may occasionally bring a brief but intense storm. The dry
conditions make dust storms common.
Many animals and birds make their home in the desert. There are more
than forty-five kinds of lizards and snakes. Gazelles lope across the sand.
Birds include quail, ducks, and geese.
Deccan Plateau
The Deccan (DEH-kuhn) Plateau is a triangle-shaped area that lies
between two mountain ranges in southern India. A plateau is an elevated, or
raised, area of land that is flatter than a mountain. The Deccan Plateau has
several kinds of land. In the flatter parts, large granite rocks formed by
volcanoes cover the land. These rocks are among the world’s oldest, dating
back more than six hundred million years. The hillier parts of the plateau have
thin forests and low, scrubby bushes.
The plateau is fairly dry. There are a few rivers, but the monsoon rains
provide most of the water. The soil on the plateau is black, yellow, or red. The
black soil is rich in iron and good for growing cotton. The yellow and red soils
lack key minerals. This makes it harder for farmers to grow plants in those
areas.
Indus River
The Indus River begins in the Himalaya Mountains. It gets water from
snow melting in the Hindu Kush mountains and other mountain ranges. This
runoff of melting snow and ice from the mountains keeps the river’s water
level high. Eventually, the river flows through present-day Pakistan and
empties into the Arabian Sea.
The Indus River valley contains some of the best farmland in the world.
Like the Ganges River, the Indus River carries silt from the mountains to the
plains. The silt leaves the surrounding soil rich and fertile.
The Indus River has often been compared to Egypt’s Nile River. Like the
Nile, the Indus is an important source of water for the farmland that lies along
its banks.
Ganges River
The Ganges River flows across most of northern India. It starts in the
Himalaya Mountains. The river makes its way south through ice, rocks, and
magnificent mountains and valleys.
The river carries silt from the Himalayas to the northern plains. As the
river passes through the plains, it leaves the rich sediment behind. As a result,
the northern plains contain some of the most fertile farmland in the world.
Melted ice carried down from the Himalayas provides the Ganges River
plains with a good supply of water. During the rainy season, the river can flood
and destroy crops planted along its banks.
Himalaya Mountains
The Himalaya Mountains are located along India’s northern border. This
mountain range is the highest in the world. Mount Everest, the world’s tallest
mountain, is part of the Himalayas. It reaches more than five and a half miles
into the sky. The Himalayas form a natural border between the Indian
subcontinent and most of the rest of Asia.
The Himalayas live up to their name, which means “home of snows.” The
highest peaks are always covered in snow and ice. Fierce storms can dump
10 feet of snow on the area at one time. Water from glaciers in the Himalaya
Mountains feeds northern India’s major rivers.
Underneath the Himalaya Mountains, the Earth is always moving. This
movement causes Mount Everest to rise slightly every year. It also makes
earthquakes and landslides common in the area.
Hindu Kush Mountains
The Hindu Kush mountains form a rugged barrier between the Indus (INduhs) River valley and Afghanistan. This mountain range is not as tall as the
Himalayas, but it is still one of the highest in the world. Some of its peaks are
almost five miles high. Many parts of the mountain range are unlivable. Snow
and ice permanently cover the steep slopes and peaks.
The Khyber (KIE-ber) Pass forms a gap about 30 miles long in the
mountains on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.The pass connects central
Asia to the Indian subcontinent. For thousands of years, traders used the pass
to enter the Indus River valley. Invaders also used the pass. But many died in
the mountains’ unforgiving landscape.